Oregon's latest depth chart reflects changes to secondary
Ahead of Saturday’s pivotal showdown with Washington State in Eugene, Oregon has released its organizational chart.
All season, those org charts have not necessarily reflected the actual status of the Ducks’ two-deep. But this week’s release indicates some notable changes to Oregon’s secondary.
As we learned yesterday, starting field safety Steve Stephens IV is still not healthy enough to play for the Ducks, and Mario Cristobal said Stephens’ injury is “a little more significant.” There’s still no timetable for when he might return.
As a result, Jordan Happle is now listed as the starting safety opposite Verone McKinley III.
Behind Happle, Trikweze Bridges is listed as the backup, with Daymon David listed behind him with an “or” qualifier. That’s a new development; all season long, Bridges has been listed as a backup cornerback. The freshman is still listed as a backup there behind Mykael Wright, too.
Of course, Bridges was a 4-star safety out of high school and arrived to Oregon intending to play there. He made the move to corner and seems to have a bright future there.
As a result of Happle starting at safety, cornerback Dontae Manning is now listed as the backup at STAR behind Jamal Hill. Manning is also listed as a backup corner behind DJ James.
With injuries to Stephens and Bennett Williams, Oregon’s secondary is a bit thin these days. It appears that they have found a solution by cross-training Bridges and Stephens, two talented, versatile players, across multiple positions.
